World of Sport

Why Vincent Kompany has bought the worst team in Belgium

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has chosen to invest some of his earnings in an unusual purchase – Belgian side FC Bleid.

The club are not glamorous – in fact, as it stands they sit squarely at the bottom of D3B, the third tier of Belgian football. They have a record of two wins and 19 defeats from their 25 matches so far this season, and a goal difference of -44.

But that has not deterred Kompany, who views it as an opportunity to rebuild the club from scratch, giving the team everything from a new name to new colours.

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On a new website, westartfromscratch.com, Kompany writes a personalised letter, explaining that FC Bleid will be, he hopes, his “social commitment towards the youngsters of Brussels”.

The youth of Brussels, in all its municipalities, is a truly multi coloured mix and I strongly believe in its qualities and potential that are at present written off much too quickly. I grew up in Brussels. I’m one of them and I know that with the effort in the right place they’re capable of anything... if they’re given the chance.

The choice of Brussels is obvious, and the choice to begin with football too: my family are old pros in that sense, and we’ve been given opportunities and taken them. We know what we’re talking about.

To maximise opportunities we want to put a lot of effort into the staffing so that youngsters not only learn the right way to play a sport but are also supported in the social aspect of their (often complex) lives. This project has to be more than a club where its members simply kick a ball around.

Just to be clear: I’m not going to do this alone. I need all my time and focus in Manchester and with the Belgian National team. This Brussels story is going to be written by a team of professional staff under my sister. They know me through and through and can put my vision into practice. Together with the present management, the players and the supporters we want, from the bottom up, taking our time and with an absence of any pretention, to build on a Brussels club that emanates positivism and passion and which really stands for something.

And when we say from the bottom up we mean literally: we start from scratch!

The club has to be carried by the fans, the present and future ones. They have to become the beating heart of the club. That’s why we also want them to come up with a new name for the club, a new logo, new club outfits and a new slogan. And we don’t have time to wait. I’m giving a call to arms for everyone: let’s start thinking today of a name for the club.